


Not Just Good With His Feet

by teaandtumblr



Category: One Piece
Genre: Bonding, Friendship, Gen, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Slash, Pre-Time Skip, Strawhats, if you want it to be, some whole cake island spoilers, totland arc spoilers, zosan that is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 20:25:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11585544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaandtumblr/pseuds/teaandtumblr
Summary: Sanji hadn't meant to throw the knife at Zoro. The swordsman had dodged it so it didn't really matter but still, he hadn't meant to it. But maybe the fight that followed on deck was his fault. Or maybe it would have just occurred anyway.





	Not Just Good With His Feet

**Author's Note:**

> so I discussed this fanfic with _novicecomics_ awhile back and it was a _very_ different fic but somehow this just seemed to fit better. I really just wanted to see a fic where the crew get to see that Sanji can use his hands to fight because no one saw that fight on the way to Enies Lobby - boo!

 

In hindsight, Sanji was lucky the result was what it was. It could have been much worse. As it was, every member of the crew was staring at him in everything from shock to awe; no guess as to who was pulling that last face.

Because he _threw_ a knife. A chef’s knife. Across the galley. At Zoro.

Not his finest moment.

It wasn’t done out of any more spite or irritation than normal, it was as instinctual as kicking the swordsman in the back of the head or sweeping the legs from under his chair. It was just that at this particular time Sanji had been giving his quite good knives a final clean before intending to sell them at the next port. He had since replaced his very good knife set with an _extremely_ good knife set and so the quite good set was superfluous. Of course then Zoro had insulted the beautiful Nami and Sanji had just hurled the knife at him because it was there.

He was lucky Zoro’s reflexes were as quick as they were. He’d sensed the unusual attack – so left-field because Sanji didn’t _throw things_ – and ducked down in the same instant he’d grabbed Luffy’s arm and yanked him forward too, leaving their captain safe as the knife flew over both their heads. It imbedded itself in the opposite wall with a rather satisfying _thwok_.

“S-Sanji!” Chopper wailed, eyes wide.

“Did you just throw that?!” Usopp demanded.

Sanji felt compelled to apologise but then he saw Zoro’s face and no, he didn’t. He just shrugged instead, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

“Woo, Sanji that was so cool!” Luffy yelled, freeing himself from Zoro’s grip and eyes shining. “You threw it like a shuriken. Are you a ninja?!”

Zoro snorted. “Hardly.”

“What was that?” Sanji growled.

“Don’t even start,” Nami cut in. “Although, really Sanji? If that had been aimed at anyone other than Zoro, that could have gone really badly.”

“Please, his aim’s probably not _that_ good.”

“Excuse me?” Sanji yelled, stomping right to Zoro’s side and planting a foot firmly in the back of his chair. “I could’ve taken several inches of moss off if I wanted.”

“Except you didn’t,” came the taunt. “Just a lucky throw.”

“Luc-…How dare you! Do you think I _can’t_ fight with knives?”

Zoro suddenly looked very interested, teasing tone swapping into something more serious, something wild. “Are you saying you _can?_ ”

Sanji flung his arms out wide in disbelief. “Oh I’m sorry! Did the whole fight with Wanze not count?!”

Silence descended, everyone staring at him blankly. It took Sanji several long moments to realise that, yes, of course, no one had been there. Well, no one but Usopp and Franky but they’d both left before the fight had even kicked off proper. Giving a frustrated shout, the cook threw his hands in the air before going back to cleaning his knives. No one seemed to know quite what to say. Okay, a lie as Zoro clearly had plenty to say but the hand Nami had placed over his mouth was stopping that disaster before it could even start.

“Wanze?” It seemed only Brook was brave enough to break the silence. “I don’t recall such a foe.”

“He was super before your time!” Franky declared, which was ridiculous given that there had barely been a month between his and Brook’s joining of the crew. “He was this government guy on the way to rescue Nico Robin!”

“Oh yeah, the ramen guy!” Usopp exclaimed, snapping his fingers as the memory came back only to then yelp as Luffy catapulted into his lap.

“Ramen guy? You fought a guy made of ramen?!”

“His armour was made of ramen,” the sniper managed to get out as Luffy shook him vigorously. “He snorted it out his nose.”

“His…” Luffy stopped shaking him long enough to burst out laughing, everyone else looking queasy. “That’s so funny! I wanna meet him! Think he’ll make me something?”

“Luffy, it came out his nose!” Chopper shrieked. “That’s disgusting!”

Luffy pouted. “But I want ramen. Oi Sanji, ramen!”

“You just ate!” Sanji snapped, glaring at him.

“But-”

“So you managed to cut through noodles.”

Apparently Nami had dropped her hand long enough for Zoro to get his two cents in. And it had worked because Sanji’s attention swapped straight over. Zoro was halfway to his feet, hand resting on the hilts of his swords. Sanji eyed the movement raptly.

“What else can you cut through?”

“Zoro, _don’t_ ,” Nami hissed.

“Sanji, this is a really bad idea,” Chopper agreed, hands clasped together pleadingly.

Sanji didn’t pay them any attention though, already picking up the boning knife and stomping towards where his other knife was still embedded in the wall. “You want to go moss head?”

“O-oi Luffy,” Usopp stammered, “Should you really-”

 _“Zoro. Sanji.”_ Luffy’s voice was stern, taking on that tone that very sharply reminded them all that _he_ was the captain and that his word had to be followed. “No one gets hurt. _Either_ of you,” he emphasised.

“Luffy, no! You have to stop them!” Nami protested.

He merely shrugged. “They’re not gonna stop. And besides…” his face swapped to a mischievous grin. “I wanna see Sanji fight with his hands too! It’d be like having two Zoros!”

 _“Why you!”_ Zoro huffed, looking extremely offended. He then grabbed the knife from the wall, passing it to Sanji. “We taking this outside then?”

Sanji accepted it readily, grinning as he spun the knives expertly. “Obviously.”

“This is such a bad idea,” Usopp was muttering as the whole crew made their way out onto the deck. Chopper had doubled back hastily to grab his medical bag from the infirmary just in case; with Zoro, it was probably a safe bet. Robin looked very interested in the proceedings while Nami was bemoaning to herself about costs and likely damages. Luffy had sat himself on top of the railings outside the galley, brimming with excitement.

“Oi Luffy, how do we know who’s won?” Zoro asked as he drew his swords.

Sanji rolled his eyes. “You don’t think it’s going to be obvious enough?”

Zoro grinned at him darkly. “Can’t exactly leave you bleeding out on the floor. That’s against captain’s orders.”

Sanji made as if to stomp over but Luffy called him back with a wave of the hand. “I’ll just decide,” he said with a grin. “When I say you win, you win.”

It was Zoro’s turn to look less than impressed but he knew there was no point in arguing. Luffy had already made his decision and nothing on earth would be able to move him. Zoro deliberated before shrugging and setting his third sword between his teeth. Using two would perhaps have been fairer but it would also get Sanji kicking him across the deck and that wasn’t exactly fun. He made a ‘come’ gesture and then Sanji was moving.

Seconds later Zoro was stumbling at the impact of steel upon steel; not because Sanji was strong, but because he was _fast_. His legs may have been used for kicking but they’d also developed the muscles required to move faster. Pushing back with a swing, Zoro managed to knock Sanji away although the cook was coming back just as quickly. It was easier to keep track of him now that Zoro knew what he was looking for but damned if it wasn’t hard to maintain the upper hand. Knives leant towards close-range combat and that wasn’t something swords could match; close, but not _that_ close.

“Can’t keep up can you moss head?”

The 108 Pound Phoenix he got in return sent Sanji slamming into the side of the _Sunny_. He pushed himself back to his feet with a scowl. “Yeah, well, if I could set these blades on fire,” he muttered testily. “Cheap move.”

Zoro scoffed. “Did you want a fight or not?”

He was mentally prepping himself for a kick to the legs but it never came, Sanji deciding against it before throwing one of his knives as expertly as he had in the galley. Zoro knocked it away right as the second one came, having to duck to avoid it and somehow in that time Sanji had managed to slip behind him and pick up _both_ weapons in the process. He barely got his blades up in time, metal grating against metal. Zoro was getting ready for a pure strength battle when he felt Sanji back down. He immediately lessened the amount of force he was pressing against their locked blades before they both went toppling over.

“Oi, what’s the-”

“This idiot wins.”

The crew froze in disbelief, Zoro spluttering in disbelief. “Hey, it’s not over! I-”

“It _is_ ,” Sanji repeated firmly, glancing down at where their blades were still connected. “I can get out of this but doing so would give you enough time to slash my wrists.” His voice softened. “I’m not willing to take that risk. I…” For the first time Zoro noticed the cook’s hands were shaking. “My hands aren’t for fighting.”

Zoro slowly nodded, stepping back and sheathing his swords. Sanji gave a tight nod, placing his knives down and alternating between rubbing his wrists and the tendons in his arms. He didn’t get very far before Luffy was crashing into both of them at lightning speed, eyes shining.

“Sanji, that was so cool!” he screamed, said chef cringing at the sheer volume. “I didn’t know you could do that! How can you do that? You were so fast!”

“You’ve got some _super_ moves there bro,” Franky agreed. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

Something clouded Sanji’s face for a second but then it was gone. Gone only to then return even more violently when Brook asked, “Sanji, your technique was perfect. May I ask where you learnt it?”

“No, you can’t.”

With that, Sanji stomped off towards the kitchen, ignoring everyone’s calls to come back. Nami mumbled something about beaten pride but Zoro knew that wasn’t it, wasn’t even close. The question was: what _was?_

 

***

 

Pushing open the hatch to the lookout tower, Zoro was met with a sigh. “Want to test my skills in this too?”

He didn’t humour Sanji with a response, just dropped down onto the couch facing him and picked up a dumbbell, starting his reps. “Why’d you stop fighting?” At Sanji’s frown, he added, “With your hands, I mean. ‘Cause of your old man?”

“My old man.” There was something in his voice there, something warm that Sanji would never expand on. “Yeah, mostly because of that shitty old geezer. He rammed it in pretty hard that I was a cook and that my hands were purely for that: cooking. I can replace my legs. Can’t replace my hands.”

“Chopper may want to correct you on some of that,” Zoro chuckled. “You’re not a lizard.”

“Oh forgive me, but _who_ tried to chop their legs off?”

“I didn’t think they’d grow back!”

“I never said _that!”_

“You implied it then swirly brows!”

Sanji stared at him a moment longer before smothering a laugh. Zoro glared at him for it but the air between them was a little more relaxed.

“You’re good,” he offered after a long moment of silence.

The surprise on Sanji’s face was impossible to hide. “What…?”

“Don’t make me repeat it,” Zoro grunted, swapping his dumbbell to the other arm. “Just…whoever taught you to use blades was good with it, okay? They’re probably talented. I’d like to meet them someday.”

And just like that, the entire mood dissolved, Sanji flying to his feet and stomping away. “Take over watch duty. You haven’t done it in awhile anyway.”

“Hey!” Zoro yelled, reaching out but Sanji slipped through his fingers. “Oi, I was trying to be nice you shit head!”

“Well don’t when you don’t know the full story!”

Zoro raised an eyebrow as Sanji suddenly paled several shades. “And what _is_ the full story?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sanji ground out, tapping a foot against the ground warningly when Zoro went to stand. “I’ve cut those ties. _It doesn’t matter anymore_.”

Like the idiot that he was, Zoro believed him.

 

***

 

Two years later, on Wano, Sanji couldn’t meet his gaze. In a way, Zoro could see where he was coming from but on the other hand? He wasn’t that petty. None of them had seen this coming. Who knew the Vinsmokes would come looking for Sanji? Now, when they hadn’t for years? When Sanji had gone through life on his own from _childhood?_

Plus, the cook had been through hell enough on that island. Despite his words, Zoro had known Sanji hadn’t wanted to leave them – he remembered the martyr act of Thriller Bark very well, thank you very much – had known that he had undoubtedly left to protect the others. Then there was everything on Whole Cake Island itself. From being reunited with his shitty family, to having to fight Luffy, to having his lovely bride turn out to be a monster, and to all the chaos that had followed. Seeing Luffy nearly starved to death, watching his siblings be slaughtered, being hated by his beloved Nami, having Zeff being used as a ransom. And perhaps the most horrifying thing Zoro had heard, those bracelets that, if activated, could have blown the cook’s hands right off.

And suddenly, Zoro knew what to say.

Snagging Sanji as he walked passed, Zoro studied his wrists, checking for damage. Sanji tried to pull away but Zoro wouldn’t let him. “They’re unharmed.”

“Of course! I wouldn’t risk-”

“Your old man would be proud.”

Sanji’s breath definitely didn’t hitch, nor were his next words choked. Not at all. “Fuck off moss head.”

Zoro let him go that time, but it wasn’t without a smile. And when Sanji looked back over his shoulder and watching, well, maybe he smiled just a little bit too.

 

***

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! :)) Reviews are appreciated, thanks. .xx Dan


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